John Wilkinson thought he knew Sultan well, but his friend and mentor surprises him when he spoke Swahili at the souk. John’s errand at the ancient marketplace becomes a quest for knowledge about Oman’s link to the romantic African islands of Tanzania. Sultan introduces John to a friend who spent most of his youth in Zanzibar during the tumultuous times surrounding the 1964 revolution. In conversations with John, Suleiyum and Sultan set out to document their years of research, interviews, and recollections of the Sultanate of Zanzibar.
This story describes three important phases of the history of Zanzibar: the time of the Omani Sultans and the British protectorate, the fight for independence, and post-independence and the revolution of 1964 as told by students of the subject and a witness to the events. Suleiyum also relates his personal story of life and survival through the extreme violence following Zanzibar’s revolution, his years as a young saboteur fighting for FRELIMO in Mozambique, and his eventual escape home to Oman and a family who believed he was dead.
The Sultanate of Zanzibar is the fourth book in a series featuring John and Sultan, his mentor in the rich culture and traditions of the Arabian Gulf. Other titles in the series are: A Cup of Coffee: A Westerner’s Guide to Business Culture in the Gulf States; Workplace Emotions: Emotional Intelligence in Bahraini Management; and Messengers of Monotheism: A Common Heritage of Christians, Jews and Muslims.

Salem Ben Nasser Al Ismaily holds degrees in Telecommunications, Liberal Arts, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, Management and Philosophy from universities in the United Kingdom and the United States. Al Ismaily worked for Oman’s Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) from 1984 to 1996. In 1996, he joined OCIPED, the Omani Centre for Investment Promotion and Export Development. He published several papers in the subjects of cross culture, management, and economics, and two books on corporate culture. Dr. Al Ismaily makes his home in the Sultanate of Oman.
Richard Tzudiker is a freelance writer specializing in entertaining and enlightening books based on academic research into the history and tradition, modern culture and business practices, and religion in the Arabian Gulf Region. Richard holds an English degree from Colgate University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Denver. Richard writes from his home in Colorado, USA.